Some may know that I am a car fanatic when it comes to detailing and maintenance. I have in the past posted a few threads about that here on this Forum. I have always use the best products I could find and I just recently found the best wax on the planet! Just for the record, I don't care for Ceramic coatings - been there, done that. I have my reasons, but that is not what this thread is about.

The new wax I am now using is called Collenite 845. It goes on very easily and comes off just as easy. It's quick and makes your car slicker and shinier than I have ever experienced and a bonus is that it's made in the USA. According to the detailing experts I learn from, being that it is a polymer based wax it should last quite long on the cars as well. It's reasonably priced and a pint should do at least 20 - 25 cars or so. Of course you need to thoroughly clean and strip off the old wax - it's all in the prep!

If anyone here is picky and demanding (as I am) and does their own detailing, you gotta try this stuff!! CULLENITE 845

Yep. Insulator wax. That's the stuff.

As you mention, it's not a "cleaning wax" so you need to clay bar the car before application.

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SWCA #3356, SWHF#611

I hate clay baring, but the finished results are outstanding.

Until someone brings a "bird proof" car wax to market I will go with whatever the folks at the local car wash are hawking.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

I solve this problem by not washing my car and leaving a protective layer of dirt on it.

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The best I can with what I got

I would really like to know why the OP doesn't like ceramic coatings.

Attached Images

Inquiring.jpg (32.4 KB, 327 views)

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Release the Kraken

For the non-car fanatics, can you please explain what is "clay bar" process?

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Bill

There are different grades of “Collinite” 845 , 915, & 476S.
I have a can of paste wax from Collinite it is the 476s.
Supposedly it does not give the top gloss , but allegedly it last the longest ,giving the protection needed during Winter . I have seen their bottles of semi -liquid insulator wax as well .
I am guessing if you don’t have Renaissance Wax … Collinite will substitute because of no abrasives in it.

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Dino in Pittsburgh's Rat Pack

Here you are.
Access to this page has been denied

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Who are those guys?

I've been using Meguiars Ultimate for years...easy application and protection seems to last quite a long time.

While Ceramic Coating a car can have its advantages, to me the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Listed below are a few:

1) Cars that have coatings are prone to water spotting and very difficult to remove. They need quick drying and wipe down when they get wet to avoid this - especially in the heat and sun.

2) While manufacturers sometimes say the ceramic coating prevents scratching, I have found that to not be true - and the scratches look even worse.

3) Ceramic coatings need maintenance despite what the manufacturers say. They do lose their gloss and need to be revitalized. While they tout a longevity of 2-5 years, I find that longevity to be a bit optimistic.

4) In order to remove ceramic coatings they must be polished off and in the process of aggressively removing the coating, damage can be done to the cars clear-coat and or paint. It is not easy to mechanically remove the remaining clear coat and there is no chemical way to do so that I know of.

5) All in all, ceramic coating is expensive, needs maintenance and is not the cure-all for a cars paint protection that they have told us about. The wax I posted about lasts a very long time, won't spot like the coating, is relatively easy to remove, can be applied by anyone with no special experience or tools and can easily be removed if body work or a repaint of an area needs to be done. Wax can also be removed with soaps and alcohol, and aggressive polishing is not usually needed. If an area needs body work, after the new paint cures, re-waxing that area will match exactly. Cullinite 845 is inexpensive, easy to apply, lasts a long time and works incredibly well.

So that is my take on Ceramic Coatings. Yes, they do look great for a while, but as they say, "there is no free lunch"!!

Clay bars safely and easily remove the tiny bits of sand and grit that get imbedded in a cars paint. They are used in conjunction with a lubricant to help the clay bar glide across the surface and not scratch the paint. The entire process to clay a car only takes an hour or so and it's easy and pretty much fool proof. It removes 100% of all the sand and grit. Do the clay process only when needed, and kneed the clay constantly. BTW you need not dry car after washing, just go right to claying it.

The best Clay Bar I have found after trying at least a half dozen different ones is Griot's Garage Yellow Colored clay (not the blue one as it is really meant for glass). BTW, the yellow works on glass as well. The best lubricant I've found is also made by Griots Garage and it is called Speed Shine. There is another lubricant made by P&S that does the same thing and I use them interchangeably, but am using the Speed Shine now as I bought a few gallons on sale.

My process in a nut shell:

1) Wash car thoroughly with a wax striping soap. Remove any tar or road crud with WD-40.

2) Clay bar the car if there is imbedded grit in the paint.

3) If the paint has been neglected for a long period of time I use a diminishing compound (Sonax Perfect Finish - the best I've found yet) that turns into a polish as the molecules break down. A separate polishing step need not be done if using this diminishing compound. This is really only needed for the first time you detail the car, and can usually be skipped if you maintain the finish on a regular basis.

4) Wipe car down with a diluted solution of rubbing alcohol and distilled water. Mixed in a sprayer bottle 1/3 (70%) rubbing alcohol to 2/3 distilled water. Do not use regular water!

5) Apply Cullenite 845 and wipe off with microfiber cloths.

6) Allow the wax to cure over night and then I apply P&S Bead Maker. The Bead Maker gives a sacrificial coating that lasts a month or two and makes the car even shinier and slicker. It's really just a topper for the wax.

BTW, do the whole process to the wheels as well.

That's it, the best process for me and when I routinely wash the car, I will reseal it with Bead Maker once a month. Again, the Bead Maker is not only a temporary sealant, it will also give an extra layer of protection on top of the wax, extending the wax's longevity even more. EASY to apply!

Griot's Garage yellow Clay Bar and their Speed Shine is the best combo I've found and makes the job very easy. The whole car should not take more than about an hour.

I have tried Griot's (yellow and blue), Meguires, 3M (2 different ones) , Mother's, and a few more..... Griot's is far superior IMHO.

To not remove the grit and debris from a car's finish prior to waxing makes the while process a big waste of time!

While I suppose the spray-on car wash wax is better than nothing, it is not really much protection at all. Doing the whole process is not for everyone - I get that.

I've used Liquid Glass for many years. It is a silicone coating and goes on and off relatively easy. As long as your careful what you use for carwash it lasts through a Maine winter. If I put two coats on my truck in the fall, water still beads on it in the spring. My truck gets two coats in the spring and two in the fall, my Mustang two coats in the fall when I put it up.

Chemical Guys is great stuff, I assume their wax is too.
I have a gallon of f-11, unopened I believe because I discovered CG's is superior.
Now what to do with the over-priced f-11?

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Dave Ramsey Cultist

After kneading and folding the clay bar during use at what point does the bar become too contaminated (for lack of a better word) to continue?

After needing the clay, you should have a nice clean surface to work with. I normally break the clay bar in half and only use half at a time. This way if I drop it and it gets contaminated or simply no longer shows a clean surface, I only throw out half the bar.

After use, generously wet the clay with the lubricant and wrap it in saran wrap to store it moist. I also pour a 1/8" of lubricant into the storage container to keep it from drying out. A clay bar usually lasts me a few years and that includes using it on the glass all around. Best to err on the side of caution and not push the clay too far before discarding. It's not expensive and the purpose is to remove crud in the paint, not scratch it.

https://www.collinite.com/the-guy-wh...te-on-the-map/

Utica N.Y. Is said to be the place of manufacture.
They sure do need finish protection there.
Almost as much as Buffalo N.Y.

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Dino in Pittsburgh's Rat Pack

I bought a year old Altima a few years ago, the paint felt like sandpaper. I bought a Mothers clay bar kit, it was yellow.

After I was finished is was smooth as glass. Before I could lay a dry towel on the hood and it would stay there. After one would instantly slid off.

I've been told to always use clay bar in a back and forth motion, and to never do it in a circular motion like when waxing.

Sounds like something you might want to wear a lead vest while applying.

Video worth a thousand words. Edit: I see a bunch of guys beat me to it.

How to CLAY BAR your car - Detailing 101 Ep.3 - YouTube

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SWCA #3356, SWHF#611

I buy a few items from The Chemical Guys but mostly from Autogeek. When Autogeek has a 25% off sale and free freight, I really stock up. The Chemical Guys product called VRP (vinyl, rubber& plastic) is a great product for tire dressing, black trim on top of SUV and Pick Up bumpers, underneath paint line, etc. Between the two, that's where I get 90% of my products. These two company's are resellers and make nothing themselves. Many of their products are great, some good and a small amount, ehh.

I have "clay barred" several cars when they were brand new. The results were impressive. Once you have a contaminant free paint surface you can apply your wax or coating of choice. A Clay bar can also be used for things like getting dried on tree sap off of windows if you had left your car parked under a tree.

Regarding ceramic coatings or waxes, that material comes in two forms. One is a very expensive coating that is mixed up and applied and left to cure. That's probably the type that chief38 has so much disdain for. However the "hybrid ceramic" waxes made by companies like Meguiars work very well and are applied like the common "spray on" waxes. A bottle of that stuff runs around $18 or less and is good for about 6 vehicles or two good coats on a new or freshly buffed surface and a few twice yearly appliactions after a good washing.

Lots of good YouTube videos on the new types of paint coatings or waxes with various torture tests and long term performance shown. By the way Collinite products are very highly regarded.

It strips all the contaminants that get embeded into your clear coat.
Rub your hand across your clean car, feel those bumps? Contaminants. Will feel like glass after you clay bar it.
I use a synthetic clay bar pad every spring that works just as well, just wipe your car down under a running water, then wax. No neading involved, much better imo.

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Dave Ramsey Cultist

Did someone start making it again? From what I remember the inventor went loony and the company folded.

I thought the company went out of business also and couldn't find any anywhere. I came across some at a Carquest store and bought about 8 cans so I'm set for awhile.